July: Connect, Create, Collaborate

Build community and share resources! Let's widen the safety net of love together. 💗

"The connection economy is the economy of prosperity, collaboration and infinite possibilities. It's the vision of an economic ecosystem, a complex network of interconnected systems built on trust, value alignment and reciprocity. -Forbes

Hello!

Welcome to our monthly “Connect, Create, Collaborate” thread, an experiment in building a new connection economy.

Every month, people from all over the world connect in meaningful, heartfelt ways, weaving together a safety net of love in uncertain times.

Image credit: Ruby Silvious

Because building community isn’t something we can do alone, I’m thrilled to start inviting others into this space to share their perspective and experience so we can all learn from each other. This month, our first co-host is

Cara Helene

, whose deep wisdom is a steadying balm for the soul. 💗

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I’m so delighted to be sharing this page with Mariah’s creative generosity! Hello to the Heartbeats community!

Photo credit: Cara Helene

I am a retired over-giver, single mother, holistic medicine woman, and devoted student of Mother Earth. I have built coalitions for environmental policy change on Capitol Hill, organized scientific workshops, and yet leaving all that behind when I became a mother is what opened my eyes to what community truly can be (by living through all the painful ways it was absent in my life).

That longing led me to study indigenous wisdom and medicine traditions, conscious parenting practices, and eventually a lot of inner work to heal the blocks I had to healthy giving and receiving.

It’s taken me four decades to figure out that the trick to giving is to use my discernment to know what I can give easily, and where it will be received with genuine gratitude and reciprocity (like the phrase, do not cast your pearls before swine).

When we give to those we do not belong with, it will leave us feeling depleted and resentful. It is a dance for us to know what we can offer and who needs it - without this mastery, community falls apart, because giving is the glue that holds communities together.

In the English language, we usually think of “community” as a destination. But what if that is what keeps us apart - we wait to arrive at the destination of “having community”?

What I love so much about Mariah’s “Connect, Create, Collaborate” offering on Heartbeats is that it turns that notion on its head, tapping into the true wisdom of being community - it is a VERB - the tending of relationships through reciprocity, respect, and responsibility is what creates and nurtures belonging and connection.

I tend to use the word Kinship rather than community… because for me, my community includes nature and the unseen world. Kinship is the term most indigenous cultures use to describe the inherent connection between all beings - we are not separate from Nature, we are a part of it.

Robin Wall Kimmerer started using “Kinning” (the verb of Kinship) this way - to build and maintain kinship, we must actively participate in our relationships as a living conversation, as essential to our nourishment as food, air, and water. And there are ecological roles humans have played in maintaining the landscape for thousands of years; for example, as Kin to Sweetgrass, as she describes in her enchanting book, Braiding Sweetgrass.

Nature is rich with diversity and collaboration…there are overlapping layers of ecological function built into every ecosystem to prevent collapse. And I believe that reflects the essence of what human matriarchal cultures used to be - layers of support and reciprocity to ensure everyone is cared for and no one person shoulders all the burden.

I think in these uncertain times, more connection and collaboration is what will get us through.

So I ask, where can we begin weaving together threads of connection into webs of Kinship that helps us offer our work to the world, while also allowing us the space to rest, and to be with our loved ones? How can we best support one another in our various roles as care-givers, creators, and change-makers in the world?

What would you like to offer as a gift to this community? And what perhaps might you find within the comments that lightens your load too?

And know this, whatever you have to offer is beautiful and needed, no matter how small you might think it is. You don’t know when your offering is the answer to someone else’s prayer unless you speak up.

How It Works:

1. In the comments on THIS POST

   • Share your city in ALL CAPS

   • Under "RESOURCES OFFERED" list up to 3 free resources you'd like to share (examples: tarot reading, editing services, homemade meal, etc.)

   • Under "RESOURCES NEEDED" list 1-3 items you'd like to receive from the community (examples: a writing critique partner, 2 hours of childcare per month, an old typewriter, painting lessons, etc.).

2. Connect with others by responding directly to offers/requests that interest you

3. If you can’t directly respond to a request, but know someone who can, invite them to participate!

4. Check back periodically for new connections

This thread will remain active through July 31st, with a new thread starting August 1st.

Deepen your kinship 🦋

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Cara’s offerings 💖

Need personalized support? I love guiding soul-driven women to rediscover their nourishing lives and work so they can be inspired cultural change makers for a better world.

If you have found yourself in cycles of feeling isolated, over-committed, and depleted in your daily life and work, please know that it is not your fault. You are trying to build a new way of being while playing by the old rules of a broken patriarchal system.

True transformation happens when you stop trying to perfect yourself to fit into a broken system and start crossing the river away from patriarchal patterns over to matriarchal wisdom. “Cross the River” is my signature 3-month journey designed specifically for soul-led women ready to break free from patriarchal patterns and step into matriarchial wisdom.

By the end of our journey together, you’ll have your own Inner Compass guiding you, practices that nourish you specifically, and the clarity to build the supportive relationships you’ve been craving.

If you’d like to learn more about my work, you can:

- Schedule a free 20 min Connection Call to learn about my Cross the River journey,

- Check out my website (although significant updates are coming in the next 2 weeks!)

If you’d like support and insight:

• “Discover Your Inner Compass”: To better understand your soul’s true nature - needs, challenges, and talents, this astrology session will help orient you to the energy you were born with that guides you in your life.

• “Reorient Your Inner Compass”: To illuminate the root of an acute pattern or issue in your life, we’ll work with your astrology for insight to shift the energy and find tangible next steps

• I also have a few sessions offered for free in the comments below!

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Find your unique rhythm in the symphony of life 🌿

The summer edition of Rhythms and Rituals–a seasonal journal for over-givers, burned-out creatives, or anyone looking to work with the natural ebb and flow of life. Get it now on

Metalabel

!

Inside you’ll find:

📆Printable, customizable calendars with beautiful artwork you can reuse each year

✨Monthly energy overviews (Cancer, Leo, Virgo)

😊Space to draw, write, or create a monthly intention

🌿Simple, embodied rituals to honor the season and nurture your nervous system

🌙Gentle journal prompts for the New and Full moon each month

🦋Space to release and reflect between transitions

🎵Monthly resources including curated playlists, book recommendations, and more!

Created to help you harmonize with the shift in seasons–both internally and externally, I hope this journal helps you return to your wholeness with gentle compassion. ✨

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Collaboration Success Stories 💞

Did you make a meaningful connection through last month's exchange? I'd love to feature these sweet moments in future letters! Whether it's a new friendship, a helpful resource exchange, or just a heartwarming interaction, these stories inspire others and demonstrate the real magic of what’s possible in community.Email me at thebarefootbeat@gmail.com with your story!

I’d also love to open up this space for future guests! The more we share our vision of community, the stronger it becomes. Reach out to thebarefootbeat@gmail.com if you’re interested in co-hosting our resource exchange in September!

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”

—Robin Wall Kimmerer

May you be held in moments of wonder and joy, and remember, we belong to each other.

All my love,
Mariah

Heartbeats is a reader-supported community

Heartbeats is a community for creative caregivers (even if you are only caring for yourself!) to build community and honor the natural rhythyms and seasons of life. By financially contributing to Heartbeats you are saying yes to collaboration, connection, and creating sacred spaces where we can heal, learn, and honor each other with care.

• Send this letter to a friend or share on social media

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• Reach out for a collaboration

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Thank you for your presence here. 💞